Instep-supporter.



y No. 881,974. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

A. TOPURCZER.

INSTBP SUPPORTER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.29,1908.

rus Nokms PETERS co., wAsmNcroN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREAS TOPORCZER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EGIDIUS VAN DER HEYDEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INSTEP-SUPPORTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ANDREAs TOPORCZER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of New York, countyv of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lnstep-Supporters, of which the following is a specieation.

The present invention pertains to so called instep supporters for flat feet, and has for its object to provide means whereby the supporter is made elastic so that it will adapt itself to the shape of the sole of the wearer.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar reference letters denote corresponding parts, and in which y Figure 1 is a plan view of the instep supporter; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on line :2s-0c of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross section on line g/-fg/ of Eig. 1, and Fig. 4 illustrates a shoe containing the new instep supporter, the latter being shown in dotted lines and Eig. 5 is a detail illustrating the pocket at the end of the furrow.

The instep supporter consists of a Vflexible pad @that is adapted to be 'fitted in a shoe to rest on the insole. ln the bottom of said pad, a plurality of furrows l), l) are cut which extend from the heel portion in longitudinal direction and are adapted to receive spring strips c of steel, hard rubber, or the like. The furrows are shorter than the springs c so that by the insertion of the latter the pad will be curved or vaulted so as to form at its insole portion a free space e between itself and the insole, as indicated in Fig. 4. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 29, 1906.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Serial No. 336,703.

spring strips are at their heel ends riveted or otherwise secured to the pad, as at d, and at their toe ends, the same loosely engage into narrow pockets c formed within the furrows. By virtue of these springs and the free space e', the curved or vaulted pad is capable of adapting itself to the shape of the sole of the wearer. At one or both sides the pad may be extended and bent upwards, and the edges thereof ma)T be reduced in thickness to offer a better lit in the shoe.

To prevent the springs c, c from falling out from the furrows, a thin cover f of leather or other suitable material is stitched all around and around each spring to the pad as indicated in Fig. 1 by the dotted lines g, and z., lzy respectively.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An arch and instep support, adapted to be inserted in a boot or shoe, comprising an arched body portion and a reinforce portion cmiforming to aml coextensive therewith, a plurality of independent arch retaining elements interposed between said portions in substzmtialhv lparallel relation and lengthwise thereof, said portions terminating in front' and immediatel)T adjacent the instep portion, whereb)T said instep portion may have lateral freedom of .movement and conform to uneven treading of the foot.

Signed at New York this 28th day of September 1906.

ANDREAS TOPORCZER.

Vitnesses:

JOSEPH E. OAVANAUGH, MAX D. ORDMANN. 

